King and Lionheart
by coldwarqueer
Summary: And as the world comes to an end I'll be here to hold your hand 'cause you're my king and I'm your lionheart. / Prince Alfred/Knight Ivan AU Longfic CW: Sexual content, character death, angst
1. Prologue

**A/N: If you recognize me from tumblr (url is coldwarqueer) then you'll realize this is the fic I've been hyping up for a while (the "prince alfred knight ivan au") well here you go, here's the first installment**

**the name comes from an of monsters and men song, i recommend you read it its pretty nice. I don't own hetalia, I don't own the song, yadda yadda. I am not making profit for this and it is purely hobby.**

**The cover image was created by my friend fynntail and has given me permission to use it.**

**In the future there will be sexually mature scenes, character death, royal politics, and angst**

**As always, feedback is always appreciated.**

* * *

Ivan opened his eyes, flat on his back, staring up at the cloudy sky. His head was pounding and he wasn't quite sure what had happened. The last split second he remembered was falling face down in the mud.

"Sorry I hit you with my sword…" Ivan turned his head and winced at the kink in his neck. He was about to go off on the child before he fully realized who he was talking to. "My dad said you were a real knight and knights are always so strong so I thought if I hit you your head would break my sword."

"I'm not a knight yet," Ivan muttered, his head lowered- as he had told to be when around the royal family. He kept his gaze to the ground. The young prince wasn't quite what Ivan had in mind when he pictured him.

"Yeah, but you're gonna be a knight some day!" The prince grabbed Ivan by the jaw and pulled with all his might, the young apprentice grunting as his jaw popped. "My dad told me that knights are big and strong and they have magic armor!"

"I don't get armor until I'm eligible for knighthood." Ivan sat up and rubbed the back of his head, where he felt a hard bump. That was going to hurt in the morning. "Why are you down in the training courtyards?"

"I can see you from my room!" The prince turned, dropping the wooden sword in his sticky grasp, and then pointed to the East tower of the massive castle that loomed over the courtyards. "That's where my room is! Where do you live? I like to watch the knights train every day, they look like they have so much fun! Do you ever get to slay dragons? I want to go on a big adventure and be a knight! I'm Alfred, who are you?"

The prince sure was talkative. "Ivan. I live in the apprentice quarters." He slowly pushed himself to his feet. He towered above the prince at an alarming rate. "How old are you?"

"I'll be seven summers soon! How old are you? I bet you're really old, you're so tall!" Of course, the prince was a chubby, short child like most nobility. Ivan bit his tongue. He had a lot of mean things to say, but he wouldn't.

"I'm twelve now." Ivan glanced at the abandoned wooden sword, presumably what he had been hit with. He wasn't too pleased, being saddled with the annoying kid prince. Wasn't he supposed to have some kind of nanny to watch over him? "Don't you have someone taking care of you?"

"Yeah, but I snuck out. I thought it would be way more fun to play with you, since you're a knight and all! You know what we should play? We should play evil wizard and knight! You be the evil wizard, I'll be the knight!" The prince picked up his wooden sword again and held it above his head, cheering.

Ivan had to duck a swing aimed at his head. "But- but…" He grunted as he was knocked square in the chest and pushed down. "But I'm the one training to be a knight." What an ironic twist.

"Yeah, but knights are heroes, and I'm the hero here!" Alfred lowered the wooden sword. "You're not playing it right! You have to act all evil, and then when I hit you you fall down! Come on, you gotta play it right!"

Ivan didn't want to piss the prince off- who knew what sort of things the king would do to him if he hurt the poor boy's feelings. "Alright, ah-" He cleared his throat and rubbed his hands together, pushing back to hop to his feet. He was nervous at the prospect that he would be playing with a member of the royal family. He hoped this didn't come back to bite him in the ass. However, if he was going to do this he may as well do it right. "What do I need to do to be an evil wizard?"

"You have to shoot spells! And I'll fling them off with my magic sword, and then I'll run you down and hit you and kill you! And then I'll be hailed as a hero!" Alfred cheered, sword in the air.

Ivan wondered what the boy's obsession with being a hero was about. He shrugged off the thought and nodded. "Alright, ah…" He made a hand motion. "I am shooting a web at you! It is magical, and will hold you down!"

"I rip it apart with my amazing sword!" Alfred giggled, chopping away at the pretend webs, making a look like he was struggling. "I'm free! I'm coming after you, evil wizard!"

Ivan laughed, sidestepping and running away from Alfred's lunges. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't having fun. "I shoot fire at you!"

"My sword is immune against fire! It protects me!" Ivan wondered if the little boy even knew what a shield was, and that that was the item he was thinking of. He didn't say anything; that would ruin the magic of pretend.

Ivan grunted as he was knocked in the chest with the sword, thankful that it wasn't incapacitating this time. "I got you, I got you!" Alfred cheered, jumping up and down. "I slew the evil wizard! Quick, now you have to give me a parade!" Alfred dropped the wooden sword and jumped up on Ivan's back with no warning. "Put me on your shoulders!"

The apprentice grunted and shifted Alfred onto his shoulders, holding him by the legs. Alfred seemed pleased to be up so high. "What do I do? Walk you around?"

"Go that way!" Alfred directed, pointing to the path that lead to the royal gardens. Ivan had never been in the gardens before; the knights and apprentices weren't allowed.

Ivan trekked them across the training field where a few of his fellow apprentices were scattered. He stopped at the edge of the lush gardens, before taking a nervous step. He grunted as Alfred kicked him to hurry up. "I've never been in the gardens."

"They're nice! My dad has a lot of flowers." Alfred pointed to many of the high hedges and the low hanging brush that came down off one of the walls. "See how pretty they are? Come on, take me on my parade!"

Ivan didn't know what the "parade" was supposed to look like, but he wandered through the gardens with Alfred on his shoulders and that seemed to be enough for the prince. Alfred pointed out many exotic flowers and plants that were special gifts from other countries.

"It's very beautiful," Ivan murmured under his breath, closing his eyes to soak in the serene grace of the gardens. He wished he'd snuck in before. Even if his shoulders were beginning to ache the beauty and the calm made up for it.

"_Alfred_!"

Ivan tensed and Alfred seemed to jump right from his shoulders. The prince seemed small now, as the king himself trampled the path to get to his son.

"Alfred Fredrick Jones, what do you think you were doing? Cavorting with some common apprentice? You should be up in your room, studying your words!"

"I don't want to! I want to play!" Alfred exclaimed. His tone had more than a hint of indignation in it. "I don't like studying, it's so booooring."

"That doesn't mean you can just up and sneak out like some common thief!" The king snatched Alfred by the ear, dragging him to his side. "And you," he pointed to Ivan, who froze under scrutiny, "You should know better than to run around with my boy. Go back to your duties."

Ivan felt small beneath the harsh gaze of his king. "Yes, your majesty," he said, eyes on the ground. "My humblest apologies. It won't happen again."

"You're right it won't." The king then lead his son away through the gardens, Alfred protesting and shouting the entire way. He looked back, waving a goodbye to Ivan.

Ivan returned the wave, before he slowly trudged back to the training fields; the gorgeous, calm gardens left behind.


	2. Chapter 1

Ivan wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced up at the sky. It had to be midday by now- he wondered where his daily distraction was.

Though he loved the warmth, he was still used to cold Sibyrian winters and the hot summers of Columbian country were too much for him. As it was he was in as little clothing as he could get away with, but that meant an extra thorough bath later. A pair of trousers was nice in the heat, but it did little to protect from dirt and grime.

"Ivan!" There was his distraction. Ivan glanced over his shoulder, turning to face the prince.

"Yes, your highness?" He had been hoping he'd manage to escape the prince's pestering for the day. Not that he disliked being around him, but he never got anything done. His history with the prince made it all the more frustrating to focus on his training.

"Sooo, you're like...eligible for full knighthood soon, right?" The prince sidled up to Ivan, grinning up at the knight.

"My full induction would have come much sooner if I didn't have you distracting me, your highness." Ivan exhaled, exaggerated and frustrated. Though he was a knight already, his full induction to the royal guard was coming up and he didn't want any hitches in the plan. After this, there was no other place for him to go but _up_.

"Come oooon, you never have any fun. After your induction you'll get to have more free time, right? You won't have to train all the time? I guess I'll be sad to not be able to see you half naked in the courtyard all the time…"

Ivan glanced up at the East Tower. Alfred's bedroom. The prince had a clear view every time he was out, sweating and working. He always had an odd fixation with his dirty, sweaty body. "I'll still train every day, I have to stay strong in order to be a competent guard. But I will be stationed within the castle confines.

The prince squirmed, fidgeting and twiddling his thumbs. "So that means I won't have to sneak out on my study time to see you." Ivan didn't like where this was doing. The prince curled up closer to him, hand on his naked chest. "We could, y'know… Like my birthday party?"

Ivan tensed. "You know we can't." The prince's sixteenth birthday party. It had been such a short time ago, and yet it felt like ancient history. The prince's virginity- or rather, lack there of as it was- was still a heavy weight on his mind. He was still upset about how Alfred had lied to him, how he'd been coerced against the icy cold pillar, too much vodka…

"But I _really_ like you!" the prince stressed, gripping Ivan's arms. "Seriously, are you _that_ oblivious?"

"I know you really like me- I'm only a knight, your highness." Ivan grunted and pursed his lips together. "You know what would happen if we...ahh."

"I can keep a secret!" Alfred's arms looped around Ivan's neck and pulled him down. "You'll be stationed in the castle, you'll be able to be closer to me."

"It's a bad idea." Ivan pushed Alfred's hands away. "I'm sorry, your highness." He did like Alfred. He did, but it was a terrible idea, and it would only end in heartbreak. Alfred was first in line for the throne, he would become a king, he would have a wife, he would have business… It would never end well between them. He only wanted to spare Alfred's young heart the pain of their inevitable separation.

The prince was definitely not pleased. He shoved Ivan back and stomped away, trudging through the dirty fields to return to his luxurious home. The knight sighed, shaking his head. His tumultuous relationship with the prince had never been this rocky, but he had also never intended for it to take such an...intimate turn.

* * *

Even the night was warm. His first night as a royal guard and he was stuck in the armor provided to him, now that he was a full member of the royal guard, sweating himself dry. He couldn't wait for winter.

"Ivan!"

The knight whipped around, hearing the quiet hiss. He spotted the wayward prince hiding behind one of the spires. "Ivan! Come over here."

He couldn't leave his post, not on his first night. "Your highness, please, I am supposed to be guarding the-" He was hushed by the prince, who came out into the open.

"I can't help it- you looked so good in your new armor… Sorry we had that fight, I just really like you." Ivan wished he didn't. Not for lack of love, but for lack of stress. "Besides… Nothing ever happens at night. You know what we could do."

"I don't think so, your highness." He was bound to protect the royal family, he was never bound to do whatever they said. Well, only the king. Alfred had no right to sneak out and see him. "You're breaking curfew. I won't report this to my superior officer, however you need to leave now, Alfred."

"I really like it when you call me Alfred," the prince murmured, sliding his hands around Ivan's armored form. "It's cold…"

"Opposite," Ivan muttered, pushing Alfred away. "Your highness. Please. You'll only get us both in trouble." Alfred's lips looked so kissable, but Ivan had to hold himself back. There would be no misconduct under his watch. "Please...go."

"No. Not until I get a kiss." Alfred's hands clutched Ivan's face, pulling him down, dragging him back. "I'm not leaving until I get one."

Ivan knew when he was fighting a losing battle. He leaned in, hesitant. What if his breath smelled bad? What if Alfred didn't like how he kissed sober? What if- his worries melted away as Alfred kissed him, hands sliding into his hair in an attempt to make it all the more passionate.

He tasted Alfred on his tongue when they pulled away, breathing hard. "Will you return to your room now, your highness? Alfred."

"Yeah. But I'll be back sooner or later. Tomorrow night."

"At least bring me lunch," Ivan snorted. He was joking, of course. He always ate a long meal before his shift- he needed it, since he would be up all night from then on.

"You got it!" Alfred jumped up to kiss him again, leaving the knight stunned. "Protect my country and my family, good knight!" Alfred gave a mock salute and scampered off, leaving Ivan confused and even a little excited. What a strange boy. Ivan would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy him.


End file.
